Childhood trauma, impulsivity and inhibitory control
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Childhood trauma, impulsivity, and inhibitory control in a forensic mental health population.
IRAS ID
257761
Contact name
Kevin Browne
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 0 days
Research summary
The proposed study will aim to explore the relationship between childhood trauma (i.e. trauma experienced during childhood in the form of emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and emotional and physical neglect) and adult impulsivity, in a forensic mental health population. The study will also aim to understand whether the executive function of inhibitory control mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and adult impulsivity.
It is important to develop understanding within this area because impulsive behaviours including deliberate self-harm and physical aggression/violence are frequent and difficult to manage within forensic mental health services. These behaviours can generate fear amongst patients and staff members and cause overreliance on undesirable behavioural manangement strategies such as seclusion and physical restraint.
Male and female service users within medium and low secure forensic mental health wards at the identified NHS trust will be recruited for this study. Individuals will be excluded from participation if they have a diagnosed learning disability or neurodegenerative disease, or present with acute psychotic symptoms (i.e. at a level causing the individual significant distress).
When ethical approval is obtained, the study will last approximately nine months (recruitment, data collection, scoring and analysis, write-up). Participants will be asked to complete a single battery of formal assessment measures, which will be administered on a single occasion. The assessment battery will comprise the following measures: Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), Test of Memory Malingering, D-KEFS Trailing Making Test and D-D-KEFS Color-Word Interference Test.
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
20/ES/0063
Date of REC Opinion
5 Aug 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion